Jenny in the TARDIS: The Doctor Lives
by Avenged97
Summary: It's been seven years since war ravaged the surface of Messaline. Jenny has spent five years searching every corner of the universe for her beloved Doctor, only to hear a terrible rumor: The Doctor is dead and gone. But is he really dead or simply lost? Meanwhile, in London, the elderly are disappearing. Can Jenny solve two mysteries: The Doctor's death and London's disappearances?
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the title Doctor Who or any of the characters, places, or objects associated with it. All rights to BBC and other respective companies or persons._**

* * *

Jenny in the TARDIS: The Doctor Lives-Chapter 1

Jenny fingered the thin, fragile leaf of a turnip before she uprooted the vegetable, shook loose the clumps of soil that encased the stringy roots, and tossed it, half-heartedly, into the basket balanced expertly on her shoulder. She repeated the process of inspecting and harvesting with each vegetable down the long line of raw produce, resting in small hills of fertile soil. She hoisted the basket just a bit higher upon her shoulder and, sighing, straightened herself, groaning as she felt a thin layer of sweat on her back and a dull ache clenching down her spine, following the trail of perspiration as it ran down her back and settled along her hips.

It'd been seven long years since the Seven-Generation war had ravaged the underground civilizations of Mesalline. The terra-forming device, or the Source as the population continued to call it, had taken its toll upon the surface of the planet. The black skies, once filled with smog, had brightened to a deep hue of blue. Untamed foliage had sprouted from the cracks in the earth and covered most of the planets surface. Though some remnants of Mesalline's prior condition remained in the form of breathtaking mountainous landscapes in some regions of the planet and grassy bogs hidden in the deep recesses of the forest, the whole of Mesalline was completely new and untouched.

After the war, the humans and Hath had successfully constructed a compact between the two species and now wholly shared the surface of the planet together, learning to reap the rewards of peace and overcome their differences. Working hand in hand, the humans and Hath had taken full advantage of the new environment that the Source had so generously provided them with. They migrated from the depths of the convoluted system of tunnels running underneath the planet's surface and constructed living quarters in the valleys and on the plains of the landscape as well as greenhouses to cultivate and harvest the new forms of food that they were discovering almost every day still.

Jenny let out another excruciating sigh and slicked her hair back, fingering her long blonde locks that rested in between her shoulder blades in the form of a heavy, thick pony tail. She glanced dreamily toward the forest of undomesticated foliage that rested just outside one of the large greenhouses, not only lusting for the shade that it offered but for the sense of adventure that it harbored in every untouched corner of its wide expanse. Despite the new environment's age of seven years, most of Mesalline had yet to be discovered, charted, and settled, especially considering that neither the humans nor the Hath had traveled outside the expanse of the underground tunnels before the end of the war. Even then, some of the known regions of Mesalline continued to be unfamiliar to Jenny herself. There were some areas that were off limits to civilians who lacked a certain ranking in the new hierarchy; rooms such as the counsel chamber or some of the deepest channels that were underground. Other areas were considered dangerous to civilians, though those were the areas that Jenny liked best; areas riddled with bogs that could suck a full-grown Hath down into its depths in a manner of seconds or home to some indigenous species that had yet to be determined as dangerous or docile.

Considering who, or what, her father figure was, it was no surprise to any of the generations that Jenny harbored a deep sense of adventure and freedom in her soul. It was a common sight to see her wandering around the corridors at times when civilians had specified duties to fulfill, like planting and harvesting, or distributing food, or exploring the unknown regions of the planet's vast surface in small units. Jenny had attempted to achieve a permanent position on one of the exploration teams but had quickly been reassigned to another duty when it was realized that she had a habit of wandering off and often broke formation to exult a novel but minuscule discovery such as a new flower growing alongside the path or a hole in the ground that could have been constructed by some new species of animal.

In spite of her exclusion from the exploration team, Jenny still managed to sneak in a few expeditions of her own here and there when she believed that no one would really miss her presence.

Shifting her collection of greens higher upon her shoulder, she had barley taken a few steps toward liberation when a gurgling sound caused her to freeze.

One of the Hath on agricultural duty was eyeing her suspiciously with a look that clearly expressed his disapproval of Jenny's obvious intentions.

In turn, Jenny sighed and rolled her eyes, though the movement embodied a bit more sarcasm than disrespect.

"Don't worry", she comforted the Hath, "I'm not going anywhere." Her voice adopted a somber pitch as she dared to steal one more glance at the placid foliage that held countless foreseen enterprises.

* * *

The bell that signaled the end of the workday couldn't have sounded any earlier for Jenny. She was exhausted, the spaces underneath her fingernails caked with the darkened topsoil of the garden, and the sharp aroma of fresh vegetables had reminded her of the hollow space in her stomach that had yet to be attended to. She weaved through the numerous people with ease, dodging lofty men and darting around small, petite but lean woman to find her way to one of the main gathering places that held almost ten thousand people. Here in the large glass dome, the swarming populations of human and Hath gathered to exchange stories and pieces of gossip, obtain their work tasks for the day, and distribute food and supplies. Jenny twirled a few circles and appropriated a few curt apologies to the shoulders and chests that she bumped into before she finally caught sight of a tall, youthful boy dressed in a loose military uniform, his eyes shaded by long brown hair with a leather satchel strung across his thin frame.

"Cline!" She threw her voice across the mass of individuals, throwing a thin arm into the air above her head.

Cline had his back turned to her at the moment and seemed to be scanning the crowd as if he were expecting someone to come bursting forth from it at any given moment. He finally turned, hearing Jenny's repeated hails, and met her with an expression of surprise.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere." He exclaimed, wrapping Jenny's lean form in a firm embrace. "The expedition squads came back early this shift. You're going to love what we've found! It's amazing!"

Jenny sighed heavily, though she still maintained her expression of contentment. "At least you get to do something fun! I'm stuck picking vegetables with the agricultural team all day. The men all work and the women all gossip. Nothing interesting ever happens."

Cline mocked her pouting expression and promptly received a playful blow to the arm.

"Come on," Jenny said as she took a firm grasp on his arm and dragged him over to one of the long lines of people that awaited their ration of food for that day, "You can tell me all about your expedition over rations. I'm starving!"

* * *

The couple sat at a round metal table and ate complacently as Cline explained his earlier shift.

"You should've seen it, Jenny! It was beautiful."

Jenny chewed thoughtfully as she cupped her cheek in the palm of her hand, her elbows resting on the table.

"The water fell from a waterfall at least ten feet tall and when it hit the pool below there were colors everywhere in the mist! The sun was shining on the rocks and there were vines growing all over; the greenest foliage you'd ever seen." Cline smiled, his eyes no longer resting on Jenny but darting across the horizon as he recalled his experience from memory. " And there were these fish swimming in the water! They were amazing, Jenny!"

"Hold on," She pressed a thin finger to his lips and quickly rummaged around in a canvas bag resting at the base of her chair. She straightened and placed a thin notebook and pencil on the table in front of her. Flipping through several rough sketches of a variety of mammals, birds, and plants before she finally came to a blank page. "Okay, go on," she ordered him, pressing the sharpened tip of her pencil against the rough surface of the pad.

"They had the bodies of fish, a bit thin and a bit more pointed at the head. Yes, just like that. Their tail fins were thin and pointed but their pelvic and pectoral fins looked like the wings of a bird almost!" He paused to watch Jenny's pencil scratch out a feathery-looking appendage. "No, not like that. A bit more flattened out. Maybe like a dragonfly instead?"

Her eraser scrubbed across the page and was quickly replaced with the tip of her pencil once again.

"Yes! Exactly. And they had another small set about halfway down, just about there. Good, yeah. They pointed out to the sides just like that."

"So, they were fish, but they had wings?" Jenny questioned, sitting back to examine her work. "Could they fly?"

"A bit," Cline explained, his brow wrinkling in concentration, "I would say they hopped a bit more than they actually flew. But, that's how their fins worked, almost like wings. They just didn't flap, so they couldn't go anywhere."

"That's amazing!" Jenny exclaimed, her lips pulling back into a smile, causing the skin around her eyes to wrinkle. "You _have _to take me!"

Cline ran his fingers through the course hair on the back of his head. His expression seemed rather quizzical.

"Oh, come on, Cline!" Jenny begged. "Please, you have to take me! I want to see them. They sound amazing!"

He wasn't quite convinced yet.

"You know you can take me tomorrow. Tomorrow's our free day, we can do whatever we want!" She reasoned with him.

Cline sighed in discontentment. "I don't know, Jenny. The area hasn't been cleared for civilians, yet. Plus, I'm not sure if I can find my way back on my own. I'd have to have the map that we chartered earlier today. You know General Froth won't let me have it without drilling me as to why I need it."

"Like I haven't been somewhere that's not cleared for civilians! General Froth will be off duty tomorrow just like all the rest of us, and you know he spends the entire day with his wife. He'll never notice if we just snuck in and borrowed it for a few hours."

"Jenny!"

"You know you want to!"

"I could get kicked off the team."

"But that makes it all the more exciting!"

"No," Cline said sternly.

"I'll give you my rations!" Jenny said as she attempted to barter with him.

"No!" Clive exclaimed. _Like he would be able to eat double rations on a day off. That'd be a sight to see._

"If you take me to see the flying fish, I'll take you to see another world! Any planet that you want!"

Cline laughed incredulously, throwing his head back in the air in a mocking gesture. "Yeah, right! You took one of the last working spaceships and brought it back so dinged up that they're _still_ trying to fix it! We won't be getting off this planet for another year, at the most."

"Cline, please! At least do it for me." She sighed, dipping her head just a bit lower and curling her bottom lip out.

"Oh, god. Look at, Jenny, resorting to pouting to go see a few gallons of water being brought down by gravity."

Jenny's knuckles dug into the flesh of his shoulder with resounding force.

"Ow!" Cline exclaimed, rubbing his bicep. "Fine!" He gritted his teeth as he appeased to Jenny's demands. "I'll take you tomorrow but only if you promise to quit hitting me. You're stronger than you look, y'know!"

"And you're softer than you let on." Jenny teased, packing her sketchbook back into her bag.

Cline sneered at her playfully as the couple went back to finishing their meals. The hours lingered as they exchanged stories about their shifts and gossiped about certain individuals around the station. Soon, Cline was pulled away from Jenny by some of his mates from the expeditionary squad, leaving her to fall back to her own quarters.

* * *

In her assigned room, Jenny relaxed on the soft covers of her bed with her boots kicked off and her hair flowing over her shoulders in a golden stream. She carefully drew her pencil across the surface of her sketch pad, held up against her knees, and continued to add a few more details to a sketch of a bird with a strange sort of fringe on it's head and wings.

After she added the final touches, she sighed and sat erect on the side of her bed. She flipped through the several pages of her drawings and thoughtfully caressed the surface of a few pages, as if a simple touch would be able to send her back to the very land that she had drawn.

Jenny had died and regenerated following the resolution of the Seven-Generation war. She'd quickly become bored of the operations to cultivate Messaline's new environment and had taken one of the station few space ships, flying off with an ardent ambition to find her father, the Doctor and run alone by his side in all of his adventures. She'd missed Donna, too. The woman had stood up for her when the Doctor had not yet been convinced of her true, peaceful nature. Even when the Doctor had learned to accept her, the people of Messaline had quickly labeled her as being different and she was thrust into the category of unknown things, and therefore she was a thing to be avoided. Cline and a few other individuals were the only ones who offered her any salvation and still, Cline harbored a small amount of malice towards her simply resurrecting and leaving him while she went off on a drawn-out and ill-planned expedition.

Jenny had spent years searching for the Doctor, hopping from planet to planet and tracking down former companions and acquaintances of the Time Lord. She'd managed to run in to a few enemies, as well. In particularly, she'd had a small bout with the Cybermen and a few Sontarans, but she'd made it out alive and had managed not to kill anyone. Despite all her travels, however, Jenny had never been able to find her tall, weathered father or his witty companion, Donna. She'd spent five long years scouring the planet, hoping to be in the right place at just the right time, but it was asinine of her to hope that she might have any chance of finding a time traveler. The Doctor could have been in 1942 or 20004567 for all she knew. After years of weary traveling, she'd finally returned home after she began to hear rumors.

_The Doctor's dead_, one strange looking alien had dictated to her.

_I head the Daleks finally caught up to him,_ another man had told her.

Several people had their theories, those that didn't shoo her away or turn their backs to her after his name had been whispered between her lips. They named off species that she'd never heard off. Aliens such as the Daleks, the Cybermen or the Weeping Angels; her least favorite was the long list of planets that people uttered, expecting her to simply know what and where and when they were: Gallifrey, Midnight, Earth, Transelor, Raxacoricofallapatorious. She was incredulous to all the periods the Doctor was mentioned in. She suffered for several years before people began to simply shake their heads with expressions of pity glazing their eyes as they regarded her as another young, lost soul. The minuscule cracks in her hope were torn open even larger when strangers took a firm hold of her shoulders, turned her around, and told her to go home.

_The Doctor's dead, girl. He has been for years. He was dangerous, devious, delightful, devilish, and dreamy. And now he's just dead._

Jenny sucked in a breath, feeling the familiar prick of tears in her eyes and an aching in her chest. Her fingers caressed the graphite horizon of a broken Gallifrey.

"Dad," She exhaled for no one to hear, "I wish you were here."


	2. Chapter 2

Jenny in the TARDIS: The Doctor Lives – Chapter 2

Jenny's figure rested peacefully, swaddled in the thin sheets of her bed. Her head rested in the hollow of her downy pillow. Despite her failure to rid herself of her work clothes from the day before, she'd somehow managed to slip her long golden locks out of their signature ponytail style before she'd nodded off. The skylight embedded in the ceiling of each room in the base allowed thin streams of silvery moonlight to tangle itself in her disheveled halo of hair, causing it to glow just a bit brighter in the shadows thrown across her sleeping form. Her fingers twitched, her eyes rolling underneath her eyelids as her subconscious thrust her into a vivid dream.

Jenny tossed her head to the side, sinking further down into the mattress, as her brow furrowed in confusion. There was a voice calling out to her from the recesses of her subconscious. It was inside her mind, tugging at her thoughts.

"Jenny . . ." It was only a whisper, lost yet, forever echoing. And again, this voice was familiar to her in some way. She just couldn't grasp the entity.

* * *

In the darkness, something advanced towards Jenny's sleeping form. It marveled at her slim figure for just a moment and then slipped a rough hand over her soft lips, applying a steady pressure to her mouth. The edge of their palm flattened out against her skin and pressed upward against her nose, muffling her steady, shallow breaths.

* * *

Jenny's eyes flickered open as her mind registered the unfamiliar sensation of something pressing against her mouth. Only a few moments passed before her reflexes came to life and a sudden pang of adrenaline rushed through her body, jerking her further out of unconsciousness. She sucked in a breath and was in the process of bringing her fist back to deliver a forceful blow to her shadowed assailant when she recognized the rounded face staring down at her.

"Jenny . . ."

"Cline?" Jenny whispered incredulously when the boy removed his palm from her mouth. "What the hell are you doing here? Were you trying to kill me?"

Cline quickly attempted to press his hand over Jenny's lips, once more, as he tried to muffle her loud complaints. She slapped his hand away with remarkable strength and speed, now awake and on full alert.

"Don't you dare, Cline! You scared the living-" her words were muffled by Cline successfully pressing two palms, flat against her mouth. Jenny's eyes burned as her brow wrinkled in frustration.

"Shut _up_, Jenny!"

Her mouth gaped open, underneath his hands.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he explained as he removed his weight from her lips. "But, if we're going to get that map from General Froth's office, we have to do it now before the entire base wakes up. They'll be too many people walking around if we try to do it later on in the day and someone is bound to see us breaking into his office. They'll tell the General, I'll be kicked off the squad, and, we'll _both_ be stuck picking turnips for the rest of our lives."

"Well, you don't have to be so rude about it." Jenny whispered, crossing her arms and sitting up. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and quickly delivered a sharp punch to Cline's exposed shoulder.

Cline gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to return the blow.

"But, I guess you do make a good point," She grinned, knowing she could always appeal to Cline's better nature before he managed to harbor too much hatred against her. She issued him a light shove towards the door as she stood up from her position on the bed. "Let me get dressed and then I'll be out in a few minutes." She was already sorting through her dresser, filled with a modest amount of seasonal clothing, as Cline headed toward the door. It slid open with an electric hiss as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Make it quick. The night is going to get any longer." He reminded her before he slipped out into the hall, disappearing with another hiss from the door.

_He is so full of himself,_ Jenny thought as she brushed a few fingers through her long, blonde hair. She was able to pull it into a low ponytail in just a few moments and quickly swapped her gritty work clothes for a green t-shirt and tight fitting, dark pants. Collecting a weathered canvas bag from under her bed, she quickly filled it with a khaki jacket, her sketchbook, a few drawing pencils, and a pair of Walkie Talkies that she'd managed to lift off of Cline's friends from the expedition team when they weren't looking. She assessed her reflection in the mirror for one, quick moment before eagerly stepping out into the hall.

* * *

_Just who does she think she is?_

Cline huffed in discontent and scuffed the tip of his boot across the metal floor as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall.

_I know who she thinks she is, _Cline's brow furrowed as he studied the floor of the station outside of Jenny's room, _She thinks she's a time lord! She probably thinks she's the next Doctor, running off, getting in trouble, and going around punching people in the arm. _He rolled up the sleeve of his khaki shirt, frowning at the small but prominent discoloration on the surface of his shoulder. It wasn't like he couldn't take a beating, he'd just like it if, for once, Jenny punched him for something he actually _deserved_. Instead, Jenny usually found any reason to dig her knuckles into his flesh. Whether she was happy, sad, or bemused . . . the Source forbid that Jenny should ever, again, decide to punch him when she was angry or frustrated. Cline could clearly remember the specific week after Jenny had been removed from the expedition force and placed on agricultural duty. His shoulder had played host to a deep purplish-blue bruise for several days after she'd received the news.

Despite her friendly abuse, Cline harbored some sentiment towards Jenny and her unique predicament. Her father had referred to her as an "echo" of the time lord's that came before her. However, both Cline and Jenny, and some of the others around the station, had noticed that Jenny's time lord roots were fading. On the outside, and molecularly, she would always be considered different. If you were to consult any doctor and question her genes, they would tell you that Jenny was, in fact, a full time lord. But, the fire that had roared inside the Doctor, the constant quest for triumph over wrongdoings and the sense of freedom and adventure; the sense of pride that had inevitably provoked a similar flame inside Jenny's heart and placed a spark inside her eyes and a bounce into her step was dying. It seemed the roots of entrapment were entangling themselves around the time lord that had bloomed in Jenny. Routine and reclusion were snuffling out her sense of adventure and her fiery "touch-and-go" spirit.

Cline sighed and frowned as he remembered the week following Jenny's return from her five-year mission spent searching for her father. He hadn't meant to barge in on her, he was only there to ask if she wanted him to show her around the newer sections of the stations as she had yet to see all the improvements and additions that they had made to the base since she left.

* * *

_As Cline neared Jenny's assigned room, he was halted by the sound of snuffling, followed by the rough noise of sheets and pillows being rearranged._

_"Jenny?" His toned dripped with concern as his knuckles rapped against the metal surface of the door a number of times._

_There was silence for a moment followed by an involuntary gasp for air and a curt and sternly appropriated, "Go away!"_

_"Jenny, are you okay?" Cline brushed his fingers against the pad on the door, allowing it to recognize his fingerprints. The door slid backwards into the wall with a metallic hiss and it had only just slid back closed with a hiss behind Cline's advancing form when the young soldier quickly caught a pillow flying through the air, obviously intended to hit his figure. It smacked against his uniform with the rough sound of fabric sliding against fabric. He issued a small "oomph" before locating his assailant._

_"Jenny!"_

_The girl had taken a position on the floor, her knees brought up to her chest and her back pressed against the side of her bed. Her sides heaved, in and out, at a quick and almost arbitrary pace. A sparkling sheet of tears covered her cheeks and caused the tip of her nose to look red and glossy, while dark trails of mascara masked the area under her eyes. Brushing the heel of her palm past the side of her eye, she spread the dark veil of makeup even farther across her face as a few more tears dropped from her watery eyes._

_"Get out!" She pleaded, not exactly shouting but communing Cline forcefully enough to make him think twice about advancing any further._

_Cline's brow furrowed as he weighed his options. He could turn around and walk out, but, then he'd be left not knowing what had possessed Jenny so much that she'd overturned her room. It was an obvious fact that it took a lot of something to bring Jenny to tears. But, then of course, if he stayed he might not walk out at all._

* * *

_Jenny's fingers were entangled in her hair and her head was placed in-between her legs. Her knees dug uncomfortably into her temples, but her head already felt as if it were going to explode. There was an immense pressure collecting behind her eyes, pushing out hot tears and causing her nose to run. She'd only been like this for a few minutes, but that had been all she needed. She just needed to drown the aching in her heart and relieve the heavy weight from her mind. She was nearly finished before Cline had come waltzing in. Now she was crying out of embarrassment. No one was supposed to see her like this. She was supposed to be strong._

_There was a heavy thud to her left as Cline slid down beside her, followed by a heavy silence. Half of her wished that, if she waited long enough, that he would give up and leave, while the other half wished that he would stay no matter what she said or did._

_"Jenny," Cline's voice was a half-whisper as he tested the silence._

_"Please, go away."_

_"No."_

_Jenny brought her head up and her hands down, her arms wrapping around the underside of her thighs. She watched silently as Cline set his jaw. It was clear that he was staying, no matter what._

_"What's wrong?" His expression softened, but only enough to show that she still had the choice to either tell him or throw him out._

_Her lips grew tight as they pressed themselves down into a frown. A new wave of tears began to seep out of the corner of her eyes. "It's stupid. You wouldn't understand."_

_Cline's brow furrowed in confusion. But, he still wouldn't be moved. His fingers wrapped around her wrist as Jenny tried to look away._

_"Please, tell me?"_

_"I miss him."_

_His face was going to freeze in an expression of chagrin if he was forced to wait much longer._

_"The Doctor," Jenny explained through a series of shoulder-heaving sobs. She tensed and suppressed a squeak of surprise when she felt Cline's arms wrap around her shaken figure._

_"I'm sorry."_

_She relaxed and almost fell into him as she shed the weight from her shoulders. Her head fit snugly under Cline's chin; his arms fitting just right, draped around her neck and shoulders. She liked that._

_They sat in silence for an extensive period of time. Jenny's breathing returned to a regular pace and she listened to Cline's heartbeat come back down from it's nervous, kicking pace and settle into a natural steady rhythm._

_"Do you think he's really dead?" Jenny finally broke the silence, her eyes studying the fabric of Cline's uniform. It was cool against her heated cheeks, damp from her previous tears._

_"No," came the quick reply, "He's out there somewhere." Cline shifted his position and Jenny was able to rest her head on his shoulder, her forehead pressing against his neck. "I bet he's on his way here right now."_

_Jenny couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of his claim. She caught sight of Cline's lips, brought up into a smug grin, out of the corner of her eye._

_"You're full of yourself."_

_"Says the girl who thinks she's the boss of time."_

_"How about I go back in time and aim that pillow just a bit farther down?"_

_"Go for it."_

_Jenny smiled and, sighing, pressed her nose into the hollow of Cline's neck._

* * *

"Come on, Jenny! Stop staring at whatever that is and get a move on. I don't want to be gone for very long or else someone is going to notice that we're missing, for sure." Cline wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and waited, albeit patiently, for Jenny to come traipsing through the overgrown foliage after him.

"Really, I don't know how you all ever get anything done. There's so much to see out here."

"Like you haven't been out here before." Cline retorted with an ornery expression.

Jenny suppressed a snort and stepped over a fallen log, taking her time and brushing her fingers over the surface of every plant and tree within her reach. It was a wonder she didn't come back from her own escapades covered in scars, scratches, and poison ivy.

"Jenny, I really don't think you should be handling every plant and leaf you find." Cline confessed in a worrisome tone as he watched his companion stoop down to brush a fingertip over the head of a delicate mushroom. "Some of these plants could be dangerous." As he neared, Jenny thrust a hand into the canvas bag slung around her side. A small journal appeared in her grasp when she withdrew her hand. The soft edges prodded Cline's stomach as she forced it upon him without taking her eyes off of the foliage in front of her.

"What do you want me to do with this?" He questioned as he accepted her gift and thumbed through a few worn pages. He easily recognized her sketches from yesterday when they'd discussed the strange, winged fish that he had discovered at their destination. As he flipped a few more pages, he found several more sketches of a variety of trees, birds, flowers, and animals, some looking like detailed sketches while others seemed to be quick, faint hearted doodles. Sometimes an animal and plant would appear together, accompanied by a small paragraph of notes in the surrounding margins.

"I already know most of the plants out here. They have lots of books in the library from Earth, dating back to long before we came to Messalline. Most, if not all, of the plants are in those books and can be found in that journal. I copied the information down and then came out and found them here."

"Where did you find the time to do all of this?"

"Do you seriously believe that I spend my entire task time harvesting turnips?" Jenny laughed, eyeing Cline's bewildered gaze with a smirk. "How far have we come from the base?"

"We're pretty far out." Cline pressed a red button on the map's container and the holographic screen suddenly shimmered and appeared before him. They'd easily slipped into General Froth's office and lifted it from one of the cabinets along the wall.

"We're here," he explained, pointing out a blinking dot on the map, "and the waterfall is here."

Jenny leaned over Cline's shoulder to get a better view.

"So, we're only a few miles away. We can make it there and back to the base before dark."

"That's good." Jenny grinned, already beginning to head out into the underbrush that lie before them. She'd only advanced a few yards before she brushed a heavy mass of entangled tree branches and shrubs. Cline almost ran into her as she halted in her steps.

"Jenny?" He questioned, staring at her bewildered expression with concern. "What's wro-" Cline's voice caught in his throat as he realized what lay ahead of them.

"The trees," Jenny whispered, "they're all felled and burned." She sucked in a breath as she took in the scene before her. A large expanse of ground had been charred and upturned, marking a zigzagging path through the underbrush. Piles of trees and shrubs had been mowed down as if they were simple blades of grass. There remnants lay scattered and smoking across a wide expanse of territory and Jenny could hardly believe that just a few feet beyond the foliage lay untouched, green and growing as if it were unaware of the previous assault before them.

"This wasn't like this yesterday." Cline tentatively set foot in the blackened graveyard of foliage, only advancing a few yards before he stooped down and examined the earth before him. "This must've happened recently, the ground is still warm and smoking." He rose and observed the devastation around him, once more. "Who could have done this?"

"Not who . . . _what,_" she corrected him.

Cline turned, his eyes searching her face for answers.

"This couldn't be the work of any man." Jenny's eyes flitted back and forth as she took in the amount of foliage that had been carelessly tossed aside or knocked down. It was as if something had slammed into the earth and slid and skidded before coming to a halt somewhere in the forest and, if this was the case, they had to be at the point of impact. She perched herself on a nearby pile of debris. There was a clear line torn across the earth, starting with the large area of impact and thinning out. She could barely glimpse the end of the trail.

Cline sighed audibly behind her somewhere; "This mess is going to slow us down quite a bit. We're going to have to navigate our way over all these felled trees and I don't want to have to carry anyone back to the base if one of us should twist an ankle. We'll already be testing our luck by having to explain why we're covered in ash. God knows what General Froth will do if he finds out one of us got hurt out here."

Cline's voice trailed off, leaving Jenny to observe the wreckage in silence.

_What could have possibly caused this?_

* * *

"_Jenny . . ._" Something tugged at Jenny's consciousness, begging for her attention.

* * *

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Cline answered.

* * *

_"Jenny . . ."_

* * *

She gasped, whirling around.

Cline eyed her warily, with concern.

"You didn't hear that?" She asked incredulously.

"Hear what?"

"That voice . . ."

He turned fully towards her now, openly displaying his concern. "No one is here but me, Jenny. I didn't say anything."

Jenny shook her head, placing a cautious hand to her temple. Maybe Cline was right. Maybe she shouldn't have handled all those plants. Her brow furrowed in concentration. She swore that she knew this voice. It was so familiar, whether it be a figment of her imagination or not, it had to stem from somewhere. Maybe somewhere in her past . . . Yes.

* * *

_"Jenny . . . I'm here."_

* * *

Jenny's feet were moving before she could register the action. She tripped and stumbled but gained speed, sprinting away from Cline, away from safety, and toward the end of the trail. It was so neatly laid out for her, she didn't even have to think or navigate; just pump her arms, plant her feet in the ground and breathe. God, how she needed to breathe.

"Jenny! Where the hell are you going?" Cline's voice rang out behind her, becoming a small complaint hanging in the crackling air.

She could've cared less at the moment. Some primal sense of adventure had hijacked her system, but at the same time it belonged there. There was an ember, once fading, but now being kindled to become a roaring flame, once more.

Jenny was nearly out of breath when she arrived. She skidded to a halt, just at the crest of a large crater. Something was radiating heat, causing the air to almost crackle around her, and she couldn't discern if it was the ground or her own consciousness as she doted upon the sight before her. She stooped and slid carefully into the heart of the crater, pressing her hands against the soil and caking her soft skin in soot. Her fingers left dark smears on the fading blue paint as she caressed the surface of the forlorn, blue box. She smiled, feeling as if her two hearts were ready to rupture with delight. The familiar blue box was _real_. It was here.

Her eyes were drawn to the blinking, white light atop the crest of the time machine and she savored every precious moment as she read the plaque on one of the doors.

"Police public call box," she whispered to herself.

She let out a heavy breath, only to fill her lungs, once more, with the smell of scorched earth and wood. Her mouth felt fuzzy, as if the air itself was crackling with energy and dancing on her tongue as she sucked in more oxygen through her parted lips. She couldn't help but lean forward, lifting her hand to press against the surface of the door. However, before any of her fingers could fall upon the familiar blue box it let out a sonorous groan followed by a resonant creak. And she knew, for sure, that _these_ noises were not in her head because the creak echoed, bouncing off of the thick trunks of trees and startling birds from their roosts. She half expected the ground to start shaking, yet nothing so large as an earthquake occurred.

Instead, the door swung open, simply, inviting her to enter with a warm glow. And Jenny, never feeling so welcomed, stepped inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Jenny in the TARDIS: The Doctor Lives- Chapter 3

Her lips parted, forming a small, eternal "oh", as she gawked at the interior of the TARDIS. It was dimmer than she imagined. It was _bigger_ than she imagined. She twirled a few, large circles as she attempted to take it all in at once. Jenny had never entertained the idea that something could be bigger on the inside.

A thin smile of awe tugged at her lips as she ran her fingertips over the slender metal railing and listened to her boots clink against the smooth silver floor. The interior seemed so ordinary, a simple blend of silver and blue hues, but at the same time it was more foreign than anything Jenny had ever laid eyes on. She knew the ship was grounded but at the same time she felt as if she were flying and she couldn't discern whether it was from the inordinate concoction of excitement and adrenaline burning in her veins or the sonorous groaning, almost wheezing sound that the TARDIS was producing. The sound was harsh, yet soothing, and she had an odd feeling that the ship, though it couldn't possibly be alive, was somehow trying to communicate its approval of her presence, as if it had been searching for Jenny all this time, as well.

The rush of excitement that had pounded into her stomach and swirled inside her head had driven the breath out of her, but she was able to suck in a momentous gulp of air as she heard a few controls on the other side of the console clink and clank in a burst of movement. She rushed around to the opposite side of the TARDIS, dizzy with enthusiasm.

"Doctor!" She exclaimed, waiting to catch a glimpse of his long, brown trench coat and brilliant blue suit. She'd waited so long to wrap her arms around his neck again; to allow herself to be picked up and twirled around to the sound of giddy laughter. She wanted so badly to bury her face in the fabric of his clothes; to smell his familiar scent and all the places he had been.

So, as she came around the console and was only greeted by silence and a few blinking lights, she was thoroughly disappointed.

"Doctor?" She maintained her smile, though it was less enthusiastic. _Maybe he was off in another part of the TARDIS?_

Jenny practically jumped down the staircase and checked the entryway to the control room. She called, she twirled a few circles in wonder, she whispered his name, and she finally found herself back in the control room, leaning against the TARDIS doors. She blew a breath out of her lips, studying the roof of the TARDIS with a hopeless feeling.

_I wonder where he could be . . ._

Jenny groaned as she remembered that she had just run off, leaving Cline standing, bewildered, in the middle of the upturned forest. He was going to be furious with her, though she could hardly bring herself to care. She could deal with Cline's wrath later. At the moment, she was solely focused on finding the Doctor. Minutes ticked away as Jenny sat and waited, and, eventually, she grew tired and closed her eyes, albeit opening her mind.

* * *

_"Jenny . . ."_

* * *

She sat erect with a gasp, her eyes searching the TARDIS. She stood and inspected the floor and the hallways and under the stairs and everywhere that she had originally looked for a second time. And, for another time, there was no brown trench coat, brilliant blue suit, or familiar smiling façade to be found.

"Doctor! Where are you?" She cried out, her expression mirroring one of discontent. She conducted another search of the area around the console and groaned in frustration.

* * *

_"Jenny."_

* * *

"I know I can hear you! I just don't know where you are!"

* * *

"_Jenny!"_

* * *

"Tell me where you are!" Jenny screamed.

Suddenly, several controls on the console moved and clanked. Buttons flashed brightly. The TARDIS produced another sonorous groaning sound, beckoning her toward the center of its great expanse. Jenny cautiously made her way toward the console, her head tipped to the side in apt curiosity.

"Doctor?" Her voice shook as the heel of her palm wiped away the few tears that had leaked out of her widening eyes. She could hear the Doctor's voice and it couldn't possibly in her head. But, Cline hadn't heard it in the forest.

"_Jenny . . . I'm here."_

"Y-you're here?" Jenny questioned. Her eyebrows furrowed as she realized that the control panel was glowing slightly, as if something was trying to break free from it. She'd only just begun to reach out, if only just to touch the glowing metal, when Cline burst through the door.

"Jenny!"

Jenny's gaze swept away from the console. She took a moment to register Cline's expression of incredulity and indignation; and, then, her fingertips made contact with the hot metal of the controls.

* * *

Jenny couldn't tell if she were screaming, or if it was the voice in her head. Maybe she was imagining it. Her skull felt as if it were going to burst as she staggered backwards. Her body jolted upon making contact with the floor, sending her limbs flying in an awkward rag-doll fashion. There was TARDIS energy inside her, flowing in her blood and pumping through her two hearts and filling up every corner of her brilliant mind. She scrunched her eyes tightly in pain, trying to block out the sight of whatever was causing her to experience so much agony. But, at the same time, she could see everything.

Jenny could see the whole of time and space, all which was happening, all that happened, and all which was going to happen. She saw the surfaces of many planets and the faces of many people. Some were familiar and some were foreign. An image of the Doctor flashed before her eyes; an image of her Doctor with his flowing brown trench coat and blue suit. He was running. He was always running. She saw other images of other Doctor's as well, though she didn't understand why his face and apparel kept changing. Sometimes, he looked old and wise. Other times, he looked youthful and giddy. Jenny counted twelve different Doctor's in all and, after the last image, she saw nothing, and she realized with horror that the Doctor had regenerated, used up all his time energy, and died. She could see him, an older looking version of the Doctor with graying hair, placing his glowing hands upon the surface of the TARDIS console, as she had. His energy exploded outward from his body and was sucked into the center of the TARDIS. The gold, glowing vapor swirled, and settled, and waited. He had waited, all this time, for her.

Her stomach arched into the air as she screamed, expressing her anguish. Her vision suddenly tunneled and she blacked out, the pain blissfully fading along with the rest of the world.

* * *

Cline watched in horror as a thick cloud of golden gas consumed Jenny's figure, seeping out of the very center of the TARDIS and wrapping around Jenny's limbs. It filled her mouth and nose and eyes. He jumped as some unseen force threw her backwards, her head bouncing sickeningly on the hard metal floor of the time machine. She convulsed, the gas continuing to stream into her, and her body began to grow pale and shimmer, as if the gas was running through her veins and causing her skin to become a translucent, hazy shade of gold.

He had only begun to shuffle his shaky feet towards her body when she opened her mouth, emitting a shrill scream, while her midsection rose into the air in agony. He stood frozen in fear as she curled in on herself, her thin, glowing fingers entangling themselves in her thick golden hair. She clawed at her head, tears beginning to seep down her cheeks.

"Jenny!" Cline exclaimed, his lips curling into a distraught snarl. His conscious bellowed in the back of his head for him to move; to help her. Yet, his muscles were deceiving him, refusing to move as they drowned in the waves of adrenaline that had begun to rush through his veins.

It was only when Jenny screamed in anguish, once more, that he finally convinced himself to draw near and aid her.

"Jenny," He practically threw himself on the ground next to her glowing form, "Jenny, please! Tell me what's wrong! What's happening?"

His pleading tone went unnoticed as Jenny tucked her head into her chest. Her screams were replaced with quiet moans and whimpers that drove Cline to insanity. He'd only seen Jenny experiencing agonizing pain once, and he'd pushed that event far into the back of his mind. In his memory, he'd silenced the gunshot. He'd blackened out the terrifying snarl on General Cobb's face and the expression of hopelessness and terror that had distorted Jenny's eye-catching façade.

It was all beginning to rush back to him, however, as he witnessed Jenny in distress on the floor of her father's time machine.

"Jenny, what did you do?" Cline asked. He went to place a hand on her shoulder, as if he could wake her from her frenzied stupor, but he stopped as his eyes were drawn to her glowing skin. Would whatever had entered Jenny's body, infect him as well?

He shook his head, reprimanding himself for being so paranoid and selfish. Never mind his own safety, he'd do anything to stop Jenny from experiencing this much pain in a heartbeat.

His fingers grasped her clothed shoulder and he shuddered as he realized that her entire body was warm, heating up upon the introduction of whatever gaseous substance had entered her system. His brow furrowed as he attempted to shake her into consciousness.

"Jenny! Jenny, please open you eyes." He pleaded with her in gasping breaths. "Jenny, open your eyes, please! Wake up. Wake up, now!"

He took her flimsy form in his hands, shaking her desperately. "Jenny, open your eyes!"

Jenny's once lifeless form suddenly went rigid. She sat up, quickly. Her eyes flew open and her jaw dropped as if she were prepping to let loose another shrill cry of torment.

Cline scrambled backwards as he took in the sight of Jenny, her eyes glowing fiercely with a golden light. It looked as if the sun was smoldering in her gaze, her pupils lost in a sea of golden lava. His chest heaved as her lips parted and the gas began to drift out of her mouth, little by little, until it all had evaporated into the surrounding atmosphere. He shrunk back; trying to regain what little sanity he could, before he rushed forward to catch Jenny's falling form. She fell heavily, upon his shoulder, her eyes snapping shut. Her arms hung, limp and unused, by her side.

* * *

"Jenny!"

There was a voice calling out in the darkness. Jenny . . . Was that her name?

"Jenny, wake up, please!"

Yes, she remembered now. She was Jenny, but she didn't feel like being Jenny at the moment. Her head felt as if it was going to burst and her limbs ached in a sudden pang of exhaustion. All she wanted to do was sleep. Unconsciousness felt heavenly at the moment, but that voice continued to hail her, drawing her up out of the murkiness and brining her to life.

Her eyes flickered open.

There was a face hanging over her own, wrinkled in concern and looking awfully tear-eyed at the simple fact that she was simply sleeping. This masculine face seemed awfully familiar. Yet, there were so many names floating around her head, it was awfully hard trying to pick one out of the sea of different names and place it with this face. Something sparked in her mind that this face didn't usually looked this worrisome. This was a rare occasion.

Damn her head. So much knowledge but such a dearth of information.

_Jack, Timothy, Rory, Mickey, Ryan, Cline . . . Cline!_

"Cline . . ." She whispered, making a slow attempt to raise herself off the floor.

Cline's hands were all over her suddenly, searching for wounds or bruises or scratches, anything that could have caused her agony. His breathing came in quick gasps, buffering Jenny's body with hot gusts of moist air. She managed to sit up; somewhat surprised that he ears weren't ringing from the force of the impact that she'd suffered when she hit the floor. Her brow furrowed as her senses returned to her.

Immediately, she was buffeted with a million questions pouring forth from Cline's mouth at such high speed Jenny thought his tongue might fall out. Her eyes clearly perceived Cline's form, shaking a bit from the withdrawal of adrenaline from his bloodstream, but stable as he could be after something of such unexpectedness. She wriggled her nose and found that it was damp. She had definitely been crying and she could taste the salt on her tongue and at the corner of her lips. She wriggled her fingers and toes and found that she was all there and in one piece, thank god. But, under Cline's raised tone, verbally vomiting questions every second, Jenny swore she could hear whispers, as if someone was trying to sway her attention. Her head began to ache, once more.

"Jenny, are you okay?"

"Cline." Jenny groaned as she smacked away his hands, "Cline, shut up."

"What?"

"Just, shut up, for one moment, please."

* * *

_"Jenny, I need you to listen to me."_

* * *

There were definitely whispers.

"Do you hear that?" She turned to Cline, her face harboring an incredulous expression.

"Hear what?" Cline shook his head, harried and frantic. "Jenny, we have to get back to base, please. We need to get out of here."

"No," She refused stubbornly.

She knew this voice.

Closing her eyes, she blocked Cline out, and opened her mind.

* * *

There was a sudden rush of information that pounded its way into her subconscious. It overwhelmed her in a wave of madness and caused her head to pound dangerously. Every movement she made, the simple, natural wavering of her form as it attempted to balance itself burned. Her head felt split into a million pieces.

_Three hundred and third miles north by northeast, a bird eats a grasshopper. The crunch of the exoskeleton under the sharp edges of the beak echoes in her mind. The shrill screeches of the baby birds as they wait their next meal invades every corner of her brain. But, in an alternate universe somewhere, the click of the grasshopper's legs as it springs forward and escaped the bird is like a symphony among the blades of grass rustling together. The bird flies on and the hatchlings screech in hunger now, instead of anticipation._

_And she shouldn't know this! How does she know this?_

_"Jenny. Listen to me. Concentrate on my voice."_

Jenny gasps as another sound weaves it way into her brain. But, this sound is soothing, like a drop of cool water on a festering burn. This sound is a voice. It is the voice of her father.

With no small amount of effort, she ignored the veritable tsunami of thoughts attacking her brain and focused on his voice. _"Okay."_

The doctor took a deep breath- or he seemed to, Jenny thought. He couldn't actually have lungs inside her head, if he was there at all.

_"You're fully time lord now, Jenny. I'm sorry, I should've warned you, but it seems you have a rather thick skull. The TARDIS has transformed what little human DNA you had in you, residue from the cloning machine that the populations used on Messalline, when I arrived, and turned you time lord. I didn't know it would be that painful and, once again, I'm sorry. But, Jenny,"_ he sighed_, "The universe needs you."_

Jenny calmed her frantic breathing, the pain in her head beginning to subside, falling to the back of her brain in the form of a slight tingle. _" I-I don't understand. I came searching for you and I couldn't find you anywhere. I searched everywhere. Why weren't you there?"_ she called out in distress.

_"Jenny. Jenny, calm down. The more tense your mind becomes the harder it is for me to converse with you."_

Jenny nodded- or, at least, she imagined herself nodding.

_"Okay, good. Now focus in on me again, Jenny. I have to explain a lot to you in just a little time and it's going to get complicated but, please, try to bear with me."_ The Doctor warned and inhaled another deep breath as if he were preparing himself to let go of a great confession. _"I know you were looking for me, Jenny, and I'm so sorry. But, you see . . . I've died, Jenny. Only a few years ago, old age and the weight of so many past oppressions caught up with me. But, while I was experiencing my final regeneration, I released my time energy into the core of the TARDIS. I knew I needed to find you, and so I flew here."_

_"And that's what happened to the forest? You're driving skills?"_

A laugh rang in Jenny's mind and she shivered as a feeling of joy swept through her body.

_"Yes, I guess that's what happened. But, the important thing was that it wasn't my decision to pick you, Jenny. I did want to see you and give you my knowledge and my presence, but it was really the TARDIS' decision. She picked you, Jenny. She opened her doors to you and allowed you to enter. She transformed you and that brings us to where we are, now. With me here, I'm helping to keep you safe from all the space-time in your head. If it weren't for me you'd be dead; your brain burnt up to a crisp, useless."_

_"All of space-time?" _Jenny wondered. _"How is that relevant? Now, I'm going to be stuck here all my life with you in my head. Such incredible knowledge and nothing to use it for. Why would that TARDIS want that?"_

_"Because you're not stuck here anymore, Jenny. You wanted to find me and share in my adventures. Now, you can. You have everything that you need. A time lord, a time machine, and endless possibilities."_

A large smile grew upon Jenny's lips as she realized the reality of the situation.

_"So," _The doctor asked_, "Where are we going to go?" _


	4. Chapter 4

Jenny in the TARDIS: Chapter 4

Jenny inhaled deeply and found herself rising into consciousness, once more. Her head felt fuzzy after talking with the Doctor, but she couldn't tell if the dizziness came from her excitement or her astonishment that her father was alive, in a sense. She rose from her position, leaning over the console, and found Cline resting against the railing of the stairs. His fingers plucked at the cracked skin of his lips nervously. His expression was dark while his brooding eyes watched Jenny intensely. His silence caused her to feel on edge and she was already beginning to feel the sharp pangs of butterflies jostling around in her stomach as she tried to fathom a way in which she could explain the events that had just taken place.

_This is real,_ She continued to reassure herself, _this is actually happening._

Cline didn't allow her much time to ponder her words as she turned to face him, her boots clinking loudly against the floor and filling the space between them.

"What was that?" He asked curiously. His posture remained unchanging and Jenny was frightened by how tense he was.

"Sorry?" She was finding it hard to focus when Cline refused to take his dark brown eyes off her form.

"The stuff that just flew out of the console and into you, what was it?"

She smiled nervously, still a bit unsure herself. "It's a bit hard to explain, really." Her form adopted Cline's position, though with less rigidness, as she reclined against the cooling metal of the console.

Cline continued to stare at her, waiting for an explanation.

"The rumors that I heard when I was searching for the Doctor, a few years back. They were true." She began to explain. "The Doctor, my dad, had died and regenerated for a final time. But, during the process, instead of dispersing his energy into his surroundings, he placed all his time energy into the console of the TARDIS. He knew I was still alive, despite witnessing my death before he left Messalline after the Seven-Generation War. So, he directed the TARDIS here, though he crash landed. That's why the forest was all torn up." Jenny waved her hand in the direction of the still slightly ajar doors to the TARDIS.

Cline nodded in acknowledgement, though Jenny wasn't quite sure that he understood all of what she had just said. He continued to uphold her with a questionable expression.

"Time energy?" He finally asked.

"Yes", she nodded. "When I touched the console, the Doctor's energy flowed into me along with what little remained of his consciousness. He was calling me to the TARDIS. Now, he's in my head. We can communicate with one another because I'm a full time lord, now."

"You weren't before?"

"When the Doctor's skin sample was taken, after his arrival on Messaline, what DNA was recovered from his sample was mixed with remnants of the human DNA that presided in the machine from previous samples. In order to divide and grow the cells at a faster rate, human and time lord DNA was mixed, and I was created. I had time lord anatomy, but human intellect. I had the ability to regenerate but, because of my human DNA, my life cycles would be much shorter than that of a time lord's. I would only live for a hundred years and then restart, while a time lord could live for centuries before his age would force him to release his energy and start the cycle anew."

Cline continued to nod his head. He sucked in a breath and ran a few fingers through his tangled hair. His fingernails were dirty and his face was a bit battered and paled from the thin layer of ash and soot that had fallen over his skin. He scrunched his shoulders up and released them, almost as if he was shedding a heavy weight. Jenny thought he looked tired.

"Cline?" She questioned, knowing full well that he was holding something back. "Are you okay with this, with me being a time lord?"

Cline shook his head and a sad smile appeared on his lips. "You scare me, all the time. D'you know that?" He sighed deeply, once more, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He purposely avoided Jenny's gaze. "You're always throwing yourself into danger, like you've got nothing to lose."

Jenny was taken back by his banal reasoning.

"I just thought that, after all those years searching for the Doctor after the war, that you would settle down. I thought that you might give up." He suddenly met her gaze and his eyes were burning fiercely, despite the glossy sheen of moisture beginning to collect at the corner of his eyes.

"But, that was foolish of me, wasn't it?" he continued. " I should have known that wasn't what you wanted."

Jenny bit her lip. She frowned and shook her head. "Cline, I've grown up since the Doctor was here last. I've learned to take care of myself."

"Right, then", Cline nodded, shouldering his pack. "I guess if you're so grown up, you'll understand when I say that I'm not coming with you.

"What?"

"Messalline is our home, Messalline is safe, and Messalline is where I'm staying. You can keep running across the galaxy, alone in a box. But, I'm going to stay here with friends and family."

"But, I won't be alone." She refuted. "I'll have the Doctor."

Cline chuckled. "Right."

Jenny shook her head. "You don't believe me. You don't really believe that the Doctor is here. Why won't you listen to me?"

He shrugged and turned toward the door. "I guess I've grown up, too, Jenny." Cline pulled open the door, allowing beams of light to flow through the entryway, illuminating the interior of the TARDIS. In any other situation, Jenny would have thought that the scene was beautiful. She would have gladly sat down with a drawing pad and sketched it out. But, at the moment, the light was too cheery. It was out of place and unwelcome. Instead of being pretty, it was too harsh.

She suddenly set her jaw, feeling a bit of anger rise up inside her. "Fine, then!" She shouted after Cline. "Walk away. I've left before and I'll do it again. I'm perfectly capable of that!"

Cline didn't award her the courtesy of looking back as the overgrowth swallowed up his retreating form.

* * *

_"Jenny."_

The Doctor's voice was weak in the back of Jenny's mind as he attempted to work his way through the storm of emotions swirling inside her mind.

It took Jenny several minutes to piece back together her frayed nerves and shed the weight that threatened to crush her, but she somehow managed to push Cline's rejection out of her mind and allow the Doctor passage into her frontal lobe.

_"What's wrong with him?" _Jenny questioned, sitting in the open doorway of the TARDIS. She'd never seen Cline like this before. It confused her. She'd thought that he'd be excited. Jenny and Cline had always teased and hinted about going to new worlds, once Messaline restored their original spacecraft, and, now that they had the chance, Cline was backing away with his hackles raised. _"Doctor?" _Jenny waited in silence, for an answer, hoping that she hadn't imagined her previous conversation with her father. She still had quite a headache. Maybe she had hit her head a little bit harder than she'd expected.

_"He's scared, Jenny." _The Doctor's voice reverberated in her mind. She definitely wasn't imagining anything.

"Cline?_ Scared?"_ Jenny suppressed an expression of chagrin. She'd never heard of such a thing. There had been times when Cline was overwhelmed or attempting to take control of a situation, but Jenny had never considered Cline to harbor any sense of fear. He might not run head on into situations, but that didn't make him a coward. He was simply patient. He always waited and planned before he struck.

_"Yes," _The Doctor reassured Jenny. _"The last time the TARDIS showed up, Jenny, there was a war. Cline was right in the middle of the conflict. He was forced to choose sides, but both General Cobb and I betrayed his trust."_

_"How? You never did anything to hurt Cline. You helped us, Doctor. You're the whole reason why I'm here and Messalline is safe. He has every reason to be indebted to you!"_

_"From your perspective, yes. But Cline was first introduced to you through the Seven-Generation war. He trusted me to keep you safe, Jenny, and I failed. Cline doesn't want to see you dead, again. He's not scared of adventure or the unknown. He's scared for you."_

Jenny sucked in a breath, studying the ground beneath her worn combat boots. _"How do I get him to come along, Doctor? How do I get him to believe in you?"_

_"You and Cline have grown close- __extremely close - over the years that I've been gone, haven't you?"_

_"Yeah, so."_

_"So, you and Cline share a similar mindset. Technically, you can broadcast my voice into his head and I'll be able to talk to him. But, you need to convince him to open his mind, Jenny."_

_"Doctor." _Jenny exclaimed. _"You saw him. That's not going to be easy."_

_"No, I suppose it's not. But, you never know unless you try."_

* * *

It took Jenny a long while before she finally decided that she had better return to the station, lest she be forced to take an extra shift for sedition or some other form of trouble making. She rose from her position on the stairs and glanced at the empty interior of the TARDIS before opening the door and stepping outside.

The heat that had enveloped the forest during the afternoon trek to the TARDIS had lifted and a cool breeze danced through the foliage, catching strands of Jenny's ruffled ponytail and playfully throwing them about her face. She walked in silence and listened to the soft crunching of her boots in the grass. Small lizards and ladybugs scuttled out of her way as she proceeded through the forest while birds flew from their roosts overhead, cawing angrily at her for disturbing their peace. She was only a few miles away from the base when she heard a twig snap up ahead of her.

Jenny paused and glanced around her, ready to take off running at the slightest sign of danger. None of the individuals from the base should have had any reason to be wandering through the forest, as it was a collective day of rest for everyone; that left only animals and other wild anomalies as the source of the noise.

Shouldering her pack, Jenny walked forward with caution and entered a small clearing where she believed the noise should have emanated from. She relaxed, just a bit, when she found Cline sitting patiently on a boulder, obviously waiting for her. He took a small sip from his water bottle and then shouldered his pack. He continued to refuse to give Jenny any courtesy of words, simply inclining his head or making extended moments of eye contact with her.

"You could have gone back to the base." Jenny finally sighed. She took a seat on a nearby boulder, resting her legs.

Cline shrugged and rested his elbows on his knees. "It would prove a much better story if we went back together."

"They'll think I dragged you out here to go on some foolish walk-about."

"You did."

Jenny suppressed the urge to dig her knuckles into Cline's shoulder. He was too far away for such a large effort, anyway. "No one should have noticed that I was gone, though some of your friends might be wondering where you are."

"I would have noticed." Cline spoke with his eyes toward the ground, his voice a casual whisper.

Jenny stared at Cline with a perplexed look.

"I would have noticed if you were gone. I notice every time, but I always knew you'd come back." He shrugged. "I never thought I'd have to worry about that."

She sighed and studied Cline's innocent expression. "You can't stop me from leaving, Cline." She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. But, I can't stay here."

"It was worth a try." Cline smirked.

A moment of silence proceeded to fall between them in which Jenny attempted to broadcast the Doctor's voice into Cline's mind. She didn't know exactly how to do it, thought the Doctor informed her that they had to be touching in order to form the link. She had cautiously stood up from her position and made her way over to Cline. They had decided that they would take a moments' break before beginning the short trek back to the station, though Jenny was beginning to regret it as they sat in an odd and awkward silence.

Cline hardly seemed to register her movement, as he was lost in thought and staring at the ground. He wasn't even fazed or alarmed when she sat down beside him with a soft "thump" and rested her head on his shoulder. It was Jenny who was more taken by surprise when Cline wrapped his arm around her, bringing her into his chest, and resting his chin softly on her head.

Jenny regretted how perfectly she fit into Cline's form. She knew she was going to miss moments like these; moments when he held her against him and shared his warmth. These were the moments when she was allowed to press her nose into the cloth of his uniform and simply inhale his scent and memorize the sharp ridges of his collarbones and caress the outline of his muscles. She shut her eyes tightly, telling herself that she had more important things to think about at the moment.

Jenny felt the Doctor struggling against Cline's wall of emotions. Even if he was silent, his conscience was filled with unspoken thoughts and desires. They swirled around his brain and kept the Doctor from projecting his voice into Cline's head. The vastness of Cline's conscience made Jenny's mind feel numb.

The Doctor continued to struggle on and Jenny squeezed her eyes shut, trying to filter out the harsh tweeting of the birds and the biting of the wind against her cheeks. She pressed herself into the fabric of Cline's shirt, hoping that the deepened contact would strengthen the bond.

A few minutes passed and Jenny felt the Doctor relinquish his efforts. The strain on her mind eased.

_"I'm sorry, Jenny. It's no use. He's just not ready to accept this change, yet."_

___"We've got to keep trying!" _Jenny exclaimed._"I'm not giving up."_

___"Of course we aren't going to give up. But, just give him some time, Jenny. He'll come around."_

Jenny sighed and shook her head._"I hope so."_

* * *

Two days later, Jenny was attempting to put off leaving for as long as possible, though the waiting period was becoming long and arduous. She and Cline continued to grow apart and, while to Doctor's attempts to reach Cline put a strain on her head, the vastness that had opened up between the two friends threatened to strain and snap Jenny's heartstrings. The time lord went about her everyday routine and it was surprisingly easy to hide the fact that she could hear the Doctor in her head. No one paid any attention to her before and they had no reason to, now. She continued to harvest turnips and other vegetables in the hot sun. She would suffer through her extensive, agonizing shift and walk to the main center of the station alone. She collected her rations and ate under the same circumstances, shoving forkfuls of rice or chicken into her mouth as she attempted to distract herself with a book from the library or her drawing pad. Despite her ardent efforts, she still managed to catch painful glimpses of Cline walking and conversing with his friends from the exploration team, smiling and laughing as if nothing had changed in the last few days. He seemed rather good at feigning happiness and Jenny began to wonder, with a sad feeling, whether or not it was an act or not.

_"Could you bring yourself to leave Messalline without Cline?"_ The Doctor's voice suddenly questioned Jenny's feelings of remorse.

_"Of course! I've left before and I'm perfectly capable of doing it again." _She retorted quickly, though they both knew the real answer.

* * *

Another day passed and Jenny reluctantly pulled out two bags from underneath her bed.

She stuffed several articles of clothing into her bag, knowing that the old canvas sack couldn't take on much, lest it burst at the seams. Her small amount of luggage, consisting of a duffel bag and a small backpack, had taken a beating during her last trip. The duffel bag was worn and the strap was frayed. Jenny feared that the cloth would snap at any given moment. Her backpack was covered in dirt and stained with dark green residue from the countless times that she had conducted her own scouting trips into the woods. A splotch of tree sap adorned one corner and the bottom had turned gray from the friction of several pencils and blocks of charcoal that had rubbed against the fabric.

Jenny was so enraptured in her task at hand that she hardly noticed when the door slid open, revealing a sorrowful looking Cline leaning against the doorframe. His hands, secretly balled into fists, were shoved deep into his pants pockets. He observed Jenny flitting about for a moment, admiring her frenzied planning. Despite her good intentions, she always managed to forget something.

Otherwise, Jenny seemed fully consumed by her present task. It was only when Cline cleared his throat that she finally looked up from her ardent attempts to shove two, thick notebooks into her bag.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

The question caught her by surprise, as he usually didn't ask permission to enter her room. They had never been on as bad of terms as they were currently.

"Uhm, sure." Jenny answered, faltering in her attempts to conjure up more room in her bag and ultimately giving up on the project. She knelt placidly on the floor, looking for something else to busy herself with.

"Do you need help?" Cline offered his services politely.

"No", Jenny answered curtly, tucking a few loose strand of hair behind her ear and rising to collect the little art supplies that she owned. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Cline explained, shuffling into the room. Despite Jenny's previous approval, he still was unsure as to whether or not he was welcome. "Hath Peck told me that you didn't show up for agricultural duty this morning and you didn't show up for rations, either."

Jenny didn't respond to his claim. It was obvious she was using her present task of packing as a distraction and an excuse not to make eye contact with him, though neither one of them were willing to address the issue.

Cline broke the silence by audibly sucking in a breath and then releasing it back into the atmosphere. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell anyone you are leaving?"

"Name one person who wants me to stay."

"I do", Cline stated bluntly as he caught her eye. They stared one another down for several minutes before she finally broke contact. A moment of silence lingered between them.

Jenny suddenly grew impatient. "What are you doing here, _really_?" She snapped, covering her sorrow with anger.

"Are you really leaving?" His voice came in the form of a somber question.

"Yes", Jenny answered curtly. "I told you that already."

Cline studied the floor pensively before he set his jaw. "I guess I'm here to say goodbye, then."

The word "goodbye" hung in the air like a foul stench.

Jenny visibly tensed and her head whipped around to take in Cline's figure while her eyes searched his face, as if she weren't sure if he were serious or not. She saw Cline's expression, though. This was the end for her; a sad parting of ways that she had tried so desperately to avoid.

"I'm not sure if I'm coming back", Jenny stuttered, the sudden realization hitting her like a fist in the stomach.

Cline nodded, obviously uncomfortable. He didn't want Jenny to leave, but he knew Jenny wasn't going to stay. "Of course", he grinned sadly as he studied the floor. "Why would you want to come back here? This place is boring. There are much better worlds out there . . . much more interesting people, I'm sure."

Silence proceeded. They'd reached a stalemate in the conversation, though neither was willing to part ways yet. They would draw it out as long as possible. They were locked in a battle to see who would break first.

Cline sighed, admiring Jenny's tense form, while continuing to uphold his sad façade. "Just, try not to get into trouble, okay?"

"What're you gonna do? Tell my dad?" Jenny joked.

Cline chuckled, remembering the first time that Jenny had left unexpectedly. His watch suddenly beeped and Jenny remembered that the exploration team always conducted debriefings at the end of the month to track the growth of Messalline and mark which sections had yet to be colonized.

"You're going to be late." Jenny whispered, urging Cline to leave before he could see her broken hearts.

"When will you leave?" He suddenly asked.

"As soon as possible", Jenny answered, slinging her bags onto her bed.

"Should I tell everyone where you've gone?"

She mulled the question over in her mind before answering, "Nah. Let them wonder where I've gone."

Jenny smiled and suddenly broke. The bag that she was holding dropped to the ground with a heavy thud as Cline embraced her. She dug her nose into the cloth of his uniform, breathing in his scent, while gritting her teeth to hold back tears. Cline's palm slid up from the small of her back to cup the back of her head. Jenny held onto his form tighter and remembered the Doctor's words. She pressed her forehead into Cline's shoulder and pleaded with him in unspoken whispers:

"Please. Please listen, just once." She sniffled as Cline pulled away, only to rest his forehead against her own. Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Please. Hear him. He's right here." She felt the Doctor straining in her mind, an odd tugging sensation that drained her body. She waited for Cline's eyes to open wide. She waited for him to stumble backwards in confusion and guilt and then drag her off to the TARDIS where they would escape.

But, Cline only pressed his lips against her forehead, issuing her a small kiss. The fabric of his uniform slid between her fingers, leaving her arms feeling empty and useless. What were her arms there for if not to hold him?

"Goodbye, Jenny."

The time lord sighed, holding back tears. "Goodbye, Cline."


End file.
